


out there

by epsiloneridani



Category: Halo (Video Games) & Related Fandoms
Genre: from a tumblr prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2018-10-11
Packaged: 2019-07-29 09:38:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16261553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/epsiloneridani/pseuds/epsiloneridani
Summary: “Aliens are out there.”John glances up from his coffee. Sam’s bright and beaming and radiating about seventy percent more mischief that anyone has the right to at oh-five-hundred.“Aliens, John,” he says again, like it’s an absolute revelation, like they didn’t fight a war against those aliens for almost thirty years.If he ignores him, maybe he'll go away.





	out there

“Aliens are out there.”

John glances up from his coffee. Sam’s bright and beaming and radiating about seventy percent more mischief that anyone has the right to at oh-five-hundred.

“ _Aliens_ , John,” he says again, like it’s an absolute revelation, like they didn’t fight a war against those aliens for almost thirty years. John blinks blearily at him and sips at his coffee.

If he ignores him, maybe he’ll go away.

He should have known better than to hope. Sam plops himself down on the bench across from him and slaps his hands on the table hard enough to make Linda do a slow turn-and-stare from the next table over.

“Sorry,” Sam says. There’s only a hint of sheepishness to it. Linda rolls her eyes and returns to her breakfast. Sam waits a second and then leans forward on his elbows. “ _Aliens_ ,” he whispers earnestly and John sets the mug back down and sighs and wonders where in the hell Fred is. Isn’t he supposed to be in charge of this team? Ranking officer?

“All right, Sam,” he says, measured. “Yes. There are aliens out there.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying.”

“Did you hit your head?”

Sam recoils and presses a hand to his heart. “John,” he says, “I thought you’d be happy I’m back.”

“I am.”

“But you don’t wanna hear about the aliens.”

“Sam, we’ve  _fought_  aliens.”

Sam wrinkles his nose. “Not  _those_  aliens,” he huffs.

“Then what aliens?”

Sam points to the door behind him wordlessly. John presses his eyes shut for a brief breath and then forces himself to look.

“That’s Fred,” he says flatly.

“He doesn’t look like Fred.”

No, he looks like Fred but frazzled. John raises an eyebrow at him and Fred just stares past him. John’s half-concerned for a beat but then Fred blinks suddenly and slips off to the mess line.

“He saw one of them and now he’ll never recover,” Sam says, shaking his head sadly.

Fred fumbles with his tray and almost drops it. John nearly gets up to help him but settles for narrowing his eyes instead. “Did  _he_  hit his head?”

“Why don’t you ask him?”

“Ask me what?” Fred sets his tray down with a caution and precision that defy the task’s simplicity.

“About the alien,” Sam says simply.

“The what?”

“The alien. Tell him, Fred.”

“What alien, Sam?”

“The one you saw.”

“I…didn’t see an alien?”

“You must have, though.”

Fred stares at him. “ _What alien?_ ” he demands, exasperated. John raises both eyebrows.

Sam shrugs easily. “The one that smiled at you earlier,” he says, helping himself to John’s coffee. “Right before you froze.”

“I didn’t–”

“I think it was called  _Lopis_ ,” Sam whispers.

Fred glares.

“What’s a Lopis?” John hedges.

“No one important,” Fred says sternly. “Drop it, Sam.”

Sam grins and sets the mug back down. “If she’s not an alien, then why couldn’t you understand her?”

“I did understand her. I just–”

“If someone smiles at you, you have to smile back.”

“I–”

“Was she speaking another language?”

“No–”

“Then why–”

It’s too early for this.

“Eat your breakfast, Fred,” John interrupts. Fred gives a withering look and slides onto the bench. Sam’s silent and for a breath John almost thinks he’ll stay that way.

“Hey, John.”

“ _Yes?_ ”

“Aliens are out there.”

\----


End file.
